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Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly continued to witness heavy pandemonium for the fourth consecutive day as both Opposition and ruling party have remained adamant over their demands.
Even an all-party meeting was convened by the Speaker to end the deadlock, it has remained inconclusive after Opposition BJP and Congress staged walkout as the issues of farmers were ignored in the meeting.
In the pre-lunch hour, Opposition members created ruckus demanding a debate on mandis and non-procurement of paddy while members of treasury bench remained adamant on their demand that BJP MLA Subhas Panigrahy should tender an apology for attempting suicide in the House.
Unable to run the House, Speaker SN Patro adjourned it till 11.30 am and again 4 pm without transacting any business.
The Speaker convened the all party meeting to resolve the deadlock. However, it didn't bear any fruits as the Congress staged walkout and BJP too skipped the meeting midway as farmers' issues were not taken up for discussion.
Leader of Opposition Pradipta Naik said that his party MLA Subhas Panigrahy would not apologise under any circumstances until the issues of farmers are resolved.
"We all- 22 MLAs- are ready to kneel and apologise only after the paddy of farmers piled at different mandis across the State is procured. The government didn’t take up the farmers' issues and demanded Subash Panigrahy to beg apology. We rejected it and walked out of the meeting," Naik said.
Government Chief Whip Pramila Mallik said "They (Opposition members) have sought time to discuss among themselves. Then, they will turn up for the meeting. No other subject would be discussed until the matter which undermined the dignity of the Assembly is resolved."
